Flying target



Dec. 2, l52 c LIVERMON 2,620,189

FLYING TARGET Filed Jan. 21, 1949 z 5 Sheets-Sheet l 3 INVENTOR.

Cage w wfiw Dec. 2, 1952 c. R. LlVERMON FLYING TARGET 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 21, 1949 INVENTOR.

Dec. 2, 1952 c LIVERMON 2,620,189

FLYING TARGET Filed Jan. 21, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I N VEN TOR.

Patented Dec. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLYING TARGET Carl R. Livermon, Roxobel, N. 0.

Application January 21, 1949, Serial No. 71,941

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a flying target adapted to be used as a substitute for the frangible ceramic shallow dishes commonly referred to as clay pigeons used in trap and skeet shooting.

An object of my invention is to provide a flying target which readily can be thrown by hand with the aid of a relatively small, light weight and inexpensive hand tool or casting rod instead of the relatively heavy and bulky and expensive machine commonly used for throwing clay pigeons.

A further object of my invention is to provide a flying target which will present a substantial surface area when viewed from any angle and which will clearly register a hit, as by being marked, dented, punctured or broken.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a flying target which will not leave any substantial or objectionable debris of used or broken targets.

Another object of my invention is to provide a flying target which is of relatively light weight and inexpensive and which may be packed and transported in large number in a relatively small space.

More specifically, an object of my invention is to provide a flying target consisting of a holder formed of spring wire or the like which will not be damaged by being struck by a shot or bullet and a target member of paper or the like adapted to be replaceably attached to the holder so that a small number of the holders and a relatively large number of the target members may be packed in a relatively small space and manually carried to the place of use Where the holders may be repeatedly used and the target members replaced and discarded and thus provid an ample supply of targets for a session of shooting.

Another object of my invention is to provide a holder which will grip the target member and hold it securely and which is so constructed as to facilitate the removal of a marked target member and the insertion of a new target member.

Several illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the target with the front portion of the target member and the front portion of the outer part of the holder broken away to reveal the inner part of the holder;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the inner portion of the holder with the rear half of the target member in operative position; i

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the outer portion.

of the holder with the target member in operative position;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a modified form of holder with the target member in operative position;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the throwing tool or casting rod;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged front elevation partly in section of the head of the throwing tool;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show three positions of the throwing tool and the target in the throwing operation;

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of a target showing another modification of the holder;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the blank from which the target member is formed; and

Figs. 12 and 13 show successive positions of the blank in forming the target member.

Referring to the drawings, the inner part of the holder comprises the conical portion l, the flat extension 2 which serves to provide a handle to be held between the thumb and finger when a target member 3 is being inserted, the loop 4 which serves for the attachment of the chain 6 and the weight 1, and the hook 5 which engages the lower edge of the outer part of the holder. The outer part of the holder comprises the conical portion 8, the somewhat less conical or cylindrical portion 9 Which extends below the lower end of the conical portion l of the inner part of the holder, the side loop ID and the side arm H extending upwardly from the lower end of the portion 9 through the loop I0 and laterally in the loop [2 to which the throwing ring I3 is attached. The inner and outer parts of the holder are made preferably of spring steel wire Which is sufficiently flexible to permit slight deformation to permit their conical portions to fit each other accurately and grip the target member firmly between them without crimping or distorting the target member. Spring steel wire is preferred because it has been found that it withstands the shock and is not damaged when struck by shot of smaller diameter than that of the wire. It will be appreciated, however, that the conical portions of the inner and outer parts of the holder could be substituted by for instance sheet metal, wood, plastic or the like which would not withstand being struck by shot as well as the spring steel but would nevertheless be operable. The cylindrical or only slightly conical extension 9 serves to provide spring tension holding the conical portions of the inner and outer parts of the holder tightly together when the lower 3 edge of the outer part is sprung upwardly and engaged with the hook 5. The chain 6 and weight I are of course merely illustrative and may be replaced by substitute or equivalent means.

In operation of the holder illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 the outer part 8, 9, I0, II, I2, I3 is disengaged from the hook and permitted to slide down over the chain 6 to the weight I. The target member 3 is removed and a new target member is formed as illustrated in Figs. 11, 12 and 13 around the inner part of the holder I, 2, 4, 5. The outer part of the holder is then brought upwardly to the position illustrated in Fig. 1 and engaged with the hook 5 and the target with a new target member is ready for use.

The modified target holder illustrated in Fig. 4 comprises the inner and outer conical portions I and 8 but in place of the loop 4 and the book 5, theconical portion I is provided with an integral cylindrical spring portion I4 the lower end of which is bent to provide the hook 5a and an attachment for the Weight Ia. Also the extension 2 of the inner part of the holder is omitted. The outer part of the holder is modified by omitting the side arm H and by attaching the throwing ring I3 directly to the loop I01 and the short cylindrical portion 9 is replacedby the relatively long cylindrical portion I5. Thisembodimentof the target holder illustratedin Fig. 4 has certain advantages over the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 for instance in that thev weight which strikes the ground first is resiliently attached to the conical portions of the holder and reduces the danger of damage to thetarget member 3 when the target falls. On the other hand, the relatively flexible or resilient springs l4 and I5 incur the possibility ofan occasional accidental disengagement of the springI 5 from the hook 5a.

Theembod'imentof Fig. 4 is used in the same way-as that of Fig. 1, i. e. the spring I5 is disengagedfrom the h-ookfia and allowed to slide down to the weight-1a, the target member is replaced and the spring; I5returned to engagement:with hook 5a in which position the conical portions I and 8 of the inner and outer parts of the holder'firmly engage and hold the target member 3. This modification may be used. also by allowing the spring I5 to remain engaged with the hook-5a and pushing the conical portions I and 8 apart against the tension of *the spring. I5;while the target member is beingreplaced.

The form of target illustrated in Fig. is very similar to that illustrated in Fig. 4 but in this modification Irhave attached the weight lb bymeans. of the open loop I6 so that it-may be detached and the innerand outer parts of the holder completely separated from each other. This-or an equivalent form of holder is necessary when the target member is a preformed frustoconical shape-such as a. conical paper cup with the tip cut off. In this form of the target member it cannot be wrapped around the inner part of the holder but-must be put in place by inserting the spring I4 through the opening in the target member and then replacing the outer part of the holder.

,The target member 3'illustrated in Figs. 11, Hand 13 comprises the slit I7 and the tongue I8 by means of which the ends are secured together to form the frustoconical-shape.

In Fig. 5, I9tis the handIeand'ZOthe head of the throwing tool. As appears in Fig. 6, the head 20 comprises the oppositely disposed hooks 2I and 22 so designed that as the tool is brought backwardly from the position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 8, the target reverses its position and the throwing ring I3 slips from the hook 2I to the hook 22. Then when the tool is brought forwardly to the position shown in Fig. 9 the ring slides out of the hook 22 and the target is released with the forward momentum given to it by the forward movement of the tool. The throwing of the target is very similar to the casting of the lure in fishing.

As shown in Fig. 6, the throwing head may be provided with the spring latch 23 to prevent the target from being accidentally dropped from the throwing tool but this feature is not essential and may be omitted.

It may be advantageous suitably to color the cones to make them more readily visible in the air and upon the ground. They may for instance be provided with stripes or spots of different colors or colored to contrast with backgrounds such as thegreen leaves and grass of summer,- or the brown colors of winter, or sand or water. It may be desirable also to provide targets of different colorsor with distinctive markingsfor several members of a group playing the game. Another advantageous expedient is to provide the target member with a coating which will be knocked off and produce a visible cloud of dust when the target is struck.

It willbe appreciated upon consideration of the foregoing disclosure that the invention, broadly considered, resides essentially in a target comprising a replaceable frustoconical target member which may be either preformed or formed in situ from a properly shaped flat blank of flexible sheet material such as paper and a holder comprisingv two conical portions adapted to be spring pressed into engagement with-the opposite inner and outer surfaces of the target memher, said conical portions being capable of being locked in said position and of being separated to permit replacement of the target member andmeans for engaging the target with a throwing tool; The target must of course have weight commensurate with .its size and this weight maybe provided in the holder structure itself or by attaching, a suitable weight to.the end of the holder adjacent the smaller end of the target member.

This application is a continuation-in-part of.

portionadapted to engage a portion of the inner surface ofv the wall of said target member and an outer part comprising a conical portion adapted to engage the portion of the outer surface of the wall of saidtarget member opposite that engaged by the inner part of the holder and means for releasably holding said inner-and outerparts of said holder together in engagementwith said target member.

2.- A target as .defined'in claim 1 in which the conicalv portions of the inner and outer parts of the holder are formed of Wire.

3. A- target as-defined in claim 1.in which the target member is preformed.

4. A target as definedin claim 1 inwhich-the target member consists of a substantially sector shaped sheet with its straight edges detachably attached together.

5. A target as defined in claim 1 in which the outer part of the holder is provided with laterally extending mean for engaging a throwing tool.

6. A target as defined in claim 1 in which the smaller end of the conical portion of the inner part of the holder is attached to a weight.

7. A target as defined in claim 1 in which the smaller end of the conical portion of the inner part of the holder carries a hook and the smaller end of the conical portion of the outer part of the holder carries a spring adapted to detachably engage said hook to hold the conical portions of the inner and outer parts of the holder in spring pressed engagement with the target memher.

8. A target as defined in claim 1 in which the inner part of the holder is formed of spring wire and comprises an integral axially disposed handle at the larger end and an integral loop and hook at the smaller end of the conical portion.

9. A target as defined in claim 1 in which the inner part of the holder is formed of spring wire and comprises an integral hollow cylindrical helicoidal spring extending from the smaller end of the conical portion thereof, an integral laterally extending hook adjacent the free end of said spring and a weight attached adjacent the free end of said spring.

10. A target as defined in claim 1 in which the outer part of the holder is formed of spring wire and comprises an integral laterally extending loop adjacent the larger end of the conical 6 portion thereof and an integral substantially cylindrical hollow helicoidal spring extending axially from the smaller end thereof.

11. A target as defined in claim 1 in which the outer part of the holder is formed of spring wire and comprises an integral laterally extending loop adjacent the larger end of the conical portion, a cylindrical helicoidal spring extending from the smaller end of said conical portion, an integral arm extending from the free end of said spring through said loop and a throwing ring secured to the free end of said arm.

12. A target as defined in claim 1 in which the inner part of the holder comprise a helicoidal spring extending axially from the smaller end of the conical portion thereof and the outer part of the holder comprises a hollow cylindrical helicoidal spring extending axially from the smaller end of the conical portion thereof and surrounding the spring portion of the inner part of the holder.

CARL R. LIVERMON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 223,023 Bakewell Dec. 30, 1879 250,101 Powell Nov. 29, 1881 450,565 Fleharty Apr. 14, 1891 728,083 Childers May 12, 1903 2,012,424 Fincke Aug. 2'7, 1935 

